Global bird count taps technology

With a smartphone and 15 minutes of your time this weekend, you could be a part of the biggest bird count ever held in North America - heck, maybe even the world.

Alex Breitler

With a smartphone and 15 minutes of your time this weekend, you could be a part of the biggest bird count ever held in North America - heck, maybe even the world.

The Great Backyard Bird Count dates back 16 years. But this is the first time birders from around the world will be able to report their findings from the field using a phone app.

The results will show up on the web as the weekend progresses. You'll be able to find out what other birdwatchers are counting, whether in Stockton, Calif., or Stockton-on-Tees, England.

When it's over, experts will have a "historic snapshot" of how bird species are doing.

That snapshot is already taking form. By 1 p.m. Friday more than half a million birds had already been spotted, representing 1,159 species.

"We need as many people as possible to help build the wealth of data that scientists need to track the health of bird populations through time," said John Fitzpatrick, director of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, which hosts the bird count each year with the Audubon Society.

The much older Christmas Bird Count typically attracts a few thousand more birders than the backyard count, said Zach Slavin, a program associate with Audubon. But the Christmas count is held over a much longer period of time.

The United Kingdom also hosts a bird count that engages more than 500,000 people over just two days, he said.

The backyard count is good for beginners because of its flexibility. With a commitment of 15 minutes (or more, if you like), you can visit a park, a garden, a walking trail, or sit in your own backyard and count the number of birds you see there.